Place the tofu triangles onto the towel in a single layer.
Place another towel over the top of the tofu slices and then top with another baking sheet.
Put something heavy on the top baking sheet, so that it presses down evenly on the tofu slices inside (like a tofu sandwich in between baking-sheet pieces of “bread”!).
Allow the tofu to rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This will press the extra liquid out of the tofu and allow it to get crispy in the pan when cooked.
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat and add the of canola oil.
When the oil starts to shimmer, carefully place the tofu triangles into the pan.
Cook the tofu approximately 2½–3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crisp.
Remove from the skillet and drain on a plate lined with a clean dish towel, a brown paper bag, or paper towels. Pat the tops of the tofu slices to absorb the oil as well.
To prepare Asian dipping sauce:
Measure the soy sauce, sesame oil, honey (or agave nectar/brown sugar), and rice vinegar, and pour into a small bowl. Stir to mix all of the ingredients together.
Peel the paper skin off the garlic. Use a garlic press to mash the garlic, and add it to the sauce.
Use clean scissors to snip some chives into the sauce, for color and a wonderful mild onion flavor.
Kid Zone
Slip and Slide
Since honey is sticky and difficult to get out of your measuring tools, measure the oil first. Then, using the same measuring device, measure the honey. The oil left in the measuring spoon will help the honey slip right into the sauce mixture without any scooping or swiping! What other ingredients can you measure with this slippery strategy?
Turkey Toes
Serves 4–6
It's hard to deny that children love chicken nuggets. Sadly, though, most commercial chicken nuggets hardly contain any chicken! This recipe is the real thing and is the perfect recipe to demonstrate how important it is for kids to know what is really in their food. Gather the troops — this is an ideal recipe for lots of little hands.
2 eggs
¾ cup flour
Pinch of salt
1½ cups bread crumbs, or 3–4 slices of day-old bread
1 pound ground turkey, mixed light and dark meat
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon fresh basil or parsley leaves, chopped
½ cup vegetable oil
Take out three shallow bowls and crack the eggs into one of them. Fish out any stray shells and beat the eggs gently.
Measure the flour and add to the second bowl, along with a pinch of salt.
Measure the bread crumbs, and add them to the third bowl.
If you want to make your own bread crumbs, simply pulse the day-old bread in a food processor. If you only have fresh bread, you can toast the slices first.
Put the ground turkey into a large bowl. Set the bowl on the counter on top of a damp cloth, so it doesn't slip. Add the salt, Parmesan cheese, and basil or parsley (if using) to the ground turkey.
Put some flour on your hands, and then pick up a heaping tablespoon of ground turkey.
Roll it in the palm of your hands to create a smooth ball, about the size of a Ping-Pong ball.
Set the turkey ball on a cookie sheet. Continue until all of the turkey has been made into balls.
Pick up each ball, roll it in the flour, dip it in the egg, and then roll in the bread crumbs.
Gently press each ball with the palm of your hand to form the shape of your choice, and put back onto the cookie sheet.
Heat a skillet with ¼ cup vegetable oil on medium-low heat until the oil shimmers.
Place half of the turkey pieces into the skillet. After about 2–3 minutes, gently turn over to cook the other side for about 2 more minutes.
Remove turkey pieces from the pan and set them on a paper grocery bag or clean dish towel to drain.
Repeat with the remaining oil and turkey.
Serve hot.
RECIPE FOR ACTION
Gleaning: Harvesting for Students
I am blessed to live in a region of the country where farmers can grow amazing produce all year. Marin Organic sets the gold standard for promoting local agriculture and encouraging partnerships between farms and schools. Instead of plowing under the 20 percent of produce that doesn't meet the market standard, Marin Organic has started a gleaning program. Volunteers gather at a designated farm each week to harvest all of the produce that would not otherwise make it to the marketplace. All of that food is packed up and delivered to over half of the schools in Marin County. Those schools, in return, have designated a small portion of their food budget to put back into additional produce from those farms. Money is going back into our local economies, and our children are eating locally grown organic produce. It is a win-win situation, for the farmers, the kids, the community, and the planet.
Pretzel-Coated Chicken
Serves 4–6
Don't you hate it when you reach into your bag of pretzels and discover that there are only bits, pieces, and pretzel dust remaining? This is an ideal recipe to use up the leftovers at the bottom of your bag! What a way to love the planet — recycling ingredients!
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Several sprigs of fresh thyme
2 cups salted pretzel pieces and bits (preferably whole grain)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg
Olive oil, for frying
Lemon for serving, optional
Yellow or brown mustard, optional
Place each chicken breast between two slices of plastic wrap.
Using a small skillet, pound the chicken until it is flat. Repeat with the remaining chicken breast. (If you don't want to pound the chicken, you can use breast tenderloins instead, but they aren't as much fun to prepare!)
Pick the thyme leaves from the stem.
Chop the thyme leaves finely.
Place the pretzels in a food processor or blender and grind until fine.
Or, if you have some extra energy to burn, you can smash the pretzels yourself! Put them in a zip-top bag, squeeze out the air, and zip the top. Then, roll a rolling pin back and forth over the bag, until the pretzels are mashed. If you are feeling really cranky, you can bash the bag with the back of a small skillet. But be careful not to smash fingers!
Transfer the ground pretzels to a shallow dish. Add the thyme and some salt and pepper.
Crack the egg into a separate bowl and fish out any stray shells. Add a splash of water to the egg, and beat it with a fork or whisk until well blended.
Preheat a large nonstick skillet with ¼″ of olive oil over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle each chicken breast with salt and pepper. Dip each chicken breast in the egg, and then hold it over the egg bowl to drain off the extra liquid.
Then, dip the chicken into the ground pretzels.
Press the chicken into the pretzels to help them stick together. Turn the chicken over and coat the other side. Wash your hands.
Add each pretzel-coated chicken breast to the hot oil.
Be sure that the chicken is in a single layer in the skillet. If necessary, cook in two batches to avoid overcrowding. Cook each side for about 3–4 minutes, until the pretzel coating is evenly browned and the juices run clear when you pierce the meat. Once you remove the chicken from the skillet, slice into individual portions.
Optional: Squeeze fresh lemon juice over each slice of chicken. Or, serve with mustard on the side, to mimic the flavors when you eat a giant soft pretzel!
Chapter 5
Scrumptious Sides
Kale Chips
Makes 2 cups
For people like me who tend to eat just a few too many tortilla chips, this recipe is pure heaven. It's hard to argue with eating too much kale! There are many varieties of kale, but our favorite for this recipe is dinosaur kale, which has thicker leaves that bec
ome perfectly crunchy when roasted.
Bunch of dinosaur kale
Olive oil
Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Hold the thick end of the kale stem with one hand and run the pinched fingers of your other hand along the stem, stripping the leaf away. Tear the leaves into bite-size pieces or leave them in strips for larger chips.
Brush both sides of each piece with a little bit of olive oil, or toss them with oil directly on your baking tray. With clean hands, sprinkle the kale with salt and toss again. Wash your oily hands when you are finished.
Place the pieces of kale in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
Bake for 12–14 minutes or until crisp.
Keep an eye on them so they don't burn!
Potato Latkes
Serves 6
Nothing quite says “Hanukkah” more than a plate full of hot and crispy potato latkes. I think it's time that everyone knows how to make these beauties. Tear open an old paper grocery bag and use that to absorb the oil from the latkes when they have finished cooking. This technique is more absorbent than paper towels, and allows you to reuse something you probably already have on hand instead of using something new. Potato latkes are delicious served with applesauce and sour cream.
1 pound russet potatoes, organic if possible
1 small yellow onion
3 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
½–¾ cup canola oil
Preheat oven to 250ºF.
Peel the potatoes.
Put the potatoes into the top of the food processor, fitted with the fine grating blade. After an adult or older sibling fits the lid on securely, pulse until each batch is grated. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
As you need more space in the food processor, transfer the grated potatoes into a large bowl of cold water to prevent them from turning brown.
Add the onion to the food processor and grate.
Once all of the potatoes and onion have been grated, drain them in a colander. Spread grated potatoes and onion on a kitchen towel.
Roll up the towel and twist the ends tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible.
Transfer grated potatoes and onion to a large mixing bowl. Measure the flour and salt, and stir them into the potatoes.
In a separate small bowl, crack the egg, making sure to fish out any stray shells. Lightly beat the egg with a fork or whisk and pour it over the potato mixture.
Stir to combine with a spoon or with clean hands.
Heat ¼ cup oil in a 12″ nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot.
Working in small batches of four latkes at a time, scoop two tablespoons of the potato mixture into the skillet, flattening the pile gently with the back of the spoon.
Reduce heat to medium and cook each side until the bottom of each latke is browned, about 5 minutes per side.
Cut open a grocery bag and lay it on a large platter or the counter.
Using a slotted spatula, remove the latkes from the oil and place them onto the brown paper bag to drain. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
Add more oil to the skillet, as needed, and repeat with the remaining shredded potato mixture.
Keep the latkes warm by placing them on a wire rack set on top of a baking sheet in the oven.
Carrot-Raisin Salad
Serves 6
What's not to love about carrots? They are colorful, sweet, and crunchy. We sometimes take the carrot for granted — it is available all year long and usually gets eaten straight out of the refrigerator, without adornment. In this recipe, carrots get a makeover and are transformed into something that feels brand new. There are rumors from my recipe testers that their formerly non-carrot-loving children have been converted!
1 pound carrots (about 6 medium)
1 cup raisins
1 lemon
1–2 oranges, to taste
¼ cup light brown sugar
Salt, to taste
2 tablespoons poppy seeds (available in the spice aisle)
Grate the carrots either with a rotary grater (to protect little fingers) or with the fine shredding blade on your food processor. Kids can load the carrots, put the lid on, and press the power button. We prefer the thin strips of the carrot from this method.
Put the carrots in a serving bowl. Measure the raisins and add them to the carrots.
Juice the lemon and orange into the carrots.
Measure the brown sugar and add it to the carrots.
Add the salt and poppy seeds to the salad, and stir to mix.
Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat.
As the salad sits, the raisins will plump a bit and the carrots will absorb more of the citrus flavor.
GOING GREEN
Down to Earth: Winter Gardening
Even if you live in an area where the ground beneath your feet is frozen solid, you don't have to ignore your garden during the winter months. Raised beds, hoop houses, and greenhouses can extend your growing season, and can even be helpful in other regions to protect tender shoots and lettuces. Or if it's too cold to tromp around in the garden, snuggle up with a few gardening books and seed catalogs and make plans for the spring.
If you are lucky enough to live in a warmer region, you can continue your vegetable garden during the winter. It's a great time to plant beets, carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, onions, kohlrabi, radish, lettuce, and spinach.
Couscous Salad with Apricots, Ginger, and Pine Nuts
Serves 6
I'm always on the lookout for easy and delicious recipes to share at a potluck, and I couldn't help but notice this one when Mom served it at a party. It is one of my go-to recipes, especially when we are busy and time is of the essence.
1 cup whole wheat couscous
½ cup water
1¼ cups orange juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ cup dried apricots
1" chunk of fresh gingerroot
2 tablespoons golden raisins
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Salt to taste
Measure the dry couscous and pour it into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Measure the water, orange juice, and vinegar and pour them into a small saucepan.
Bring the liquid to a boil.
Meanwhile, cut the apricots into thin slices. Use a knife or clean scissors.
Peel and grate the gingerroot.
Add the apricots, grated ginger, and raisins to the orange juice mixture. Add salt to the mixture and stir.
Pour the hot liquid and fruit over the dried couscous.
Cover and let sit for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, measure the pine nuts and put them in a small dry skillet.
Turn on the heat to low and cook them until they become fragrant and begin to turn light brown. Stir them frequently so that they do not burn. Set them aside to cool.
After the 20 minutes have passed, gently fluff the couscous with a fork.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Immediately before serving, add the toasted pine nuts and taste for seasoning. If needed, add more salt and another splash of vinegar to brighten the flavors.
Roasted Asparagus
Serves 6
I love eating asparagus, especially roasted. But as soon as I use the restroom afterward, I catch a reminder of a genetics assignment that I used to do with my high school biology students. In much the same way that genetics determine whether or not your ear lobes are attached or “loose,” they also dictate who can or cannot detect a certain odor in your urine after eating asparagus. Contrary to popular belief, asparagus causes the same scent for everyone, but only some people can detect it!
1½ pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon coarse salt
Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
Hold the head of one asparagus spear in one hand, and the end in your other hand.<
br />
Bend the asparagus spear until the tough bottom portion snaps off. Lay this shorter spear on a cutting board next to the remaining spears. Use it as a guide so that you know where to cut the others. Or, simply break one at a time.
Spread asparagus on a baking sheet in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil. Use your hands to toss and evenly coat the asparagus. Sprinkle with salt.
Roast the asparagus in the upper third of the oven until the spears are tender and slightly caramelized on the edges (about 10–12 minutes).
Lemon-Grilled Artichokes with Garlic Aioli
Adapted with permission from my friend, Shaina Olmanson, writer at Food For My Family.
Serves 6
Eating artichokes feels like going on a dinner-table adventure. Unless you have tried one before, you may feel uncertain of how to take apart this beautiful flower and eat it. Yes — it's a flower! Simply pull off one petal at a time, put the Serves fleshy tip between your teeth, pull the petal away, and scrape off the pulp with your bottom teeth. As you peel the petals away, you will see a fuzzy “choke” (inedible) on top of the delicious “heart.” Kids adore eating these petals, especially with this delicious sauce to dip them in!
For the artichokes:
1½ lemons
3 whole artichokes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 cloves garlic
For the garlic aioli:
The Whole Family Cookbook Page 9
